American Toby Jug Museum 

Shepherd toby jug produced in Germany circa 1915 and marked Ges Gesch. A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, it exists in all parts of the globe, and it is an important part of pastoralist animal husbandry. The duty of shepherds was to keep their flock intact, protect it from predators, and guide it to market areas in time for shearing. The mark Ges Gesch is short for "Gesetzlich geschuzt" meaning registered in German. Ware marked in this way is commonly referred to as Ges Gesch ware.